


Queens of the Night

by MsSchneeheide



Category: Orange is the New Black
Genre: AU, F/F, Halloween, flaritza
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2021-01-08 00:01:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21226436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsSchneeheide/pseuds/MsSchneeheide
Summary: Enter a world of mystery, fun, queens and mistresses, and possibly romance and... stuff.





	1. Chapter One

It was a bright cold day in October, and the clocks were striking thirteen.

A mother and a daughter were just entering the large iron cemetery-like gates and the ominous sound made them freeze.

They looked around; the (barely) taller one then saw it and pointed at the bell tower in the distance: it had come from there.

Clutching hands again, they ventured on.

There was a suspended atmosphere. A soft breeze brushed against their faces and hair, lifted brown and orange leaves and made them fly and scatter on the walkway. Pipe organ music and shrieking noises from the gloomy mansion nearby seemed to attract and repel at the same time. Strange creatures of all sizes were moving about, usually in groups of two or more – little green pixies and pastel winged fairies coexisting with translucent spirits and dark light-sucking shadows; in a corner a coven of dwarf witches was gathered.

The two slowly moved on in silence, daughter half hiding behind her mother's legs.

They finally got closer to the large dead hollow tree and the being waiting therein.

She was clad in all black, dress flowing down from her shoulders following her lines to torn-hem sleeves from which long fingers ending in dark nails emerged. On the pale face crimson lips took the shape of a Cheshire cat grin while dark eyes were observing the chaos around with a sparkle. The big hair barely moved when she bent towards them.

"How can I help you?" she smiled kindly at the mother, trying to catch the little one's eyes from behind her back.

"Two tickets for us, the full experience. The 5 o'clock show's included right?"

"Yes, of course. And snacks at Hansel and Gretel's house, here," she showed on the map. "Or you can join the trick-or-treat tour after the show, it starts right outside the theater."

"Wonderful," she said but got sidetracked by the name tag pinned on the other's cleavage. _Really?_

"Elvira Mistress of the Dark, seriously?" she lifted her eyebrows.

"It's classic 80s trash!" the girl defended. "Mh... Miss..." she looked at the tiny woman's headpiece and green plastic tail disappearing between the white-draped breasts. "Cleopatra?"

She nodded. "Were you even born in the 80s?" she questioned.

"Irrelevant. Were you even born in Ancient Egypt?" she retorted. "And who might have you brought from the lands of the East?", trying to catch the kid's attention.

She chanced a peek from her mother's cape.

"What is it, what is it, I know, it's sly as a fox but is not a fox, and a loyal friend, and can jump real good..." she tapped her mouth in contemplation.

"Abu," the fez-and-vest furry warm monkey costumed little girl said.

"Rrright! Aladdin's very best friend," Elvira exclaimed brightly. The kid smiled happily.

"She's been obsessed with the movie ever since we watched the new version," the mother explained, tying the pumpkin shaped bracelet/passes around her daughter's wrist, and hers.

"It's an excellent film," Elvira said and handed them their maps. "And do you have a grudge against Princess Jasmine or something?" she asked.

"Please, there's enough Disney in my life," Cleopatra replied. "And this still kinda matches anyway, it's still the desert!"

"Mh yeah. Well, have a great afternoon!" she smiled at the duo. "Don't miss the fortune teller tent, you'll be right at home."

"Thanks," they smiled back and waved. "See ya!"

The two left the queue to start their adventure.

Maritza thought she felt a gasp near her left ear, but when she turned around it was impossible to tell who it might have been, there were just too many people. Oh well, she brushed it off.

X X X X X X X X X X

They started soft.

First stop on their path was the Eerie-Go-Round; Juliana was gradually getting into the right spirit and starting not to get too scared at every spooky costume.

Next was the carve-a-pumpkin workshop; they managed to destroy two but made a nice job of the third, Juliana had insisted it must become a magic lamp. The waste was brought to the Mad Scientist Cooking Lab to be transformed into Harry Potter inspired juice, which they contentedly sipped sitting on a bench, and doing some people – well, creatures – watching.

There had been one or two moments, though... she had had a weird feeling, like they were being watched; when she had checked left and right, though, she hadn't seen anything suspicious. Mh. Thinking about it, it was hard to tell what could stick out as suspicious on such a day, what with all the ghosts and axe-murderers roaming the place, and it was getting worse by the hour.

With time passing the crowd was more mixed, older kids were coming into the park and occasionally adults too.

Naa. She was only letting herself be conditioned by the Halloween atmosphere.

Anyways.

It was 3 o'clock already!

"Come Juli, we gotta hurry!" Her sister and mom would join them now.

They met at the main square.

Isabela had gone for a Jafar ensemble, and Maria had decided she'd be a character of her own invention, 'cause didn't that poor boy Aladdin deserve a mother too?

"Dónde está la casita de mazapán?" she enquired. They'd decided to have a snack before embarking on anything else.

Chocolate zombie brain and spider cupcakes had been ordered, and Maritza left them at the table for the restroom.

Did they have to go overboard like this with the decorations? For f*ck's sake.

With the corner of her eye she caught some movement and a glistening at the end of the corridor, and heard a clinging of metal and footsteps rushing away. Really? Special effects maybe? They were totally committed to this clients scaring business evidently; admirable.

Juliana was now enjoying everything one could conceivably enjoy here, and her sister was having the time of her life as well; those two were like the best accomplices, she sometimes wondered who the real child was.

But aanyhow.

If they wanted to visit the Haunted House and have time for the rest after, they would have to hurry.

They walked by the entrance again; Elvira was still there, giving out tickets to a couple of teens together with makeup tips, judging by her gestures. Their eyes crossed for a second and she smiled, before being swept away by her moving little group.

Luckily their passes ensured they could use the fast track to get in.

Inside she held her daughter's hand, they let Isabela walk in front and her mom closed the line.

The halls were pretty dark and they had to feel for the walls to find their way. A few meters in and their fingers met a light sticky substance that wrapped around them.

"Aaaah! What's this?"

"Calm down, it's just cobwebs."

"Blah!" she cried. "What if it gets in my hair?!"

"I'll take it out mom."

"Oooh thank you baby."

"Can we keep the spiders then?"

"Mh! We'll see ok..."

"Oh!" Isabela had just got into a room, and immediately she understood why she had stopped. It was full of statues, very lifelike ones... only some of them were probably real statues, and others scare actors from the park... granted it was the kid-friendly Haunted House and they weren't even dressed that scary, I mean if you didn't have a Disney phobia like someone, but it was still uncanny not to be able to tell who was alive and who wasn't.

Juliana tried to pick an apple from the Evil Queen's basket, but it didn't budge; oh, pity. So that was a fake. Well she'd have been just too perfect otherwise, Maritza reasoned.

Pulled at Anna's dress, nothing. Tried with Elsa's and got a smile and a wink in return, ah-ah! Spotted. A Lion King didn't react at all to having his tail pulled, neither did Bambi when Juliana rushed to hug him.

When she inadvertently stepped on his paw, though, the big Winnie the Pooh laughed warmly and took her up for a quick hug. Her mother noticed feminine eyes behind the giant headthing. Good, she thought as she exchanged a small nod with the animal-person.

After five minutes spent testing and interacting with each and every being in there, they went on.

The next passageway was lit by robotic (she guessed) glowworms, oh, that was cute! It led to a space with mirrors in the stead of walls, they were positioned at different angles and were of lots of shapes, made it confusing to proceed easily.

Everyone stopped and made faces at the others through the reflecting surfaces, trying the different effects and having some good laughs.

Maritza took advantage of the one normal mirror she found to touch up on her lipstick with the kit she always kept in her purse. Her daughter and the others were all playing a few meters away. She glanced at her reflection again a last time and caught another pair of eyes staring intensely back at her.

"Aah!" she flinched and her head shot around... where nothing met her gaze. Frowning, she looked at the mirror again. Just her. Darn!

Another friggin' special effect? Mh.

"What you saw your liner got a bit smudged?" her sister mocked.

"Qué? No, I... wait is it smudged!?" she turned to the mirror again, worried. "It's not! Pff don't scare me mami."

Isa laughed.

The whole thing took like half an hour. In the end the most terrifying part, that was the unanimous vote, had been the Little Red Riding Hood reenactment when the dirty haired Red had smiled showing the worst teeth they'd ever seen.

That would scare Juli into flossing properly at least, she thought.

X X X X X X X X X X

Outside the sun was still shining. Walking towards the theater, they paused here and there to admire some costumes or check out the game booths.

A chilly touch suddenly caught her hand.

"Hey!" Maritza startled.

"Hola chica," Frida Kahlo greeted her. OMG was that...

"Blanca? Wow! Hi," she admired her mise. Sure that seemed to have nullified her hard work on her unibrow, but it did look great.

"Yeah, hello Juli, Isa, señora Ramos." She knew all of them; they'd been friends for a long time now.

"Qué haces aquí hermosa?", god only her mother dared call her that.

Turned out Diablo was playing at the adults-only party that was about to start in another section of the park, and there'd be another band and more.

Maritza listened longingly.

Isabela and Maria exchanged a look.

"Mira mija..." her mom started. "Por qué no te vas con tu amiga un poquito? Nosotras estaremos bien al espectáculo y todo."

She perked up, but immediately tried to tone it down. "Gracias mamá! En serio... pero no se lo puedo pedir."

"You're not asking tonta, we're offering," Isabela jumped in. "Come, we know you want to..."

She eyed Juliana, who was watching and sucking on her completely black lollipop. Gosh she loved her to the moon and back, but she hadn't had a fucking break in ages.

She bent down on her knees to talk to her. "What d'you say baby? If mami goes with Blanca, and tía and abuela bring you to the show, mh?"

Her daughter nodded solemnly. "Mm-key. Can I still sleep with Iago tonight?"

She chuckled at the stuffed evil-looking monster they'd won at one of the stalls. Since it was red, she'd decided it was Iago, the parrot in Aladdin. Whatever.

"Of course mija!" she hugged and kissed her cheek soundly. "But be extra good now mh?", that was easily agreed upon.

She thanked her mother another gazillion times, and Isabela told her jokingly not to worry and to get the whole night off if she wanted, they'd be happy to have Juliana. Aww... wishful thinking, it'd been ages. Good to have the life raft however, just as a background thought.

X X X X X X X X X X

Blanca led her to the place, through the A-maze-ing Maze and an almost invisible door in one of the hedgerows. WTF?

"It's one of the staff entrances, to avoid the crowd at the official one. Diablo played here last year too." Oh; she hadn't known that.

They passed through a storage area and eventually got to the changing rooms.

After a miss – the tall gorgeous woman hadn't been too thrilled about the interruption when she was styling her hair and trying to balance a Statue of Liberty crown on it – they found Diablo's band who were about to head to the stage.

"Hey mi amor, I thought you'd got lost," he said.

"Naa, I met Maritza here and convinced her to leave her bebe for a bit to come," she explained.

Diablo lit up. He loved kids. "We'll set to making her a little cousin soon mh," he kissed Blanca's knuckles tenderly.

"Ooh Flores! You didn't tell me!", Maritza gaped.

"Yeah well, let's see how it goes," she grumbled, not managing to hide her beaming eyes.

They were disgustingly sweet almost, she smiled at herself.

The large hall had been decorated with the usual fake bats, withered flowers, the occasional tombstone, and deep purple curtains on the stage.

There was a Kiss-the-Witch booth, pumpkin bowling going on on one side and other games, but the main attraction was clearly the open bar.

A large punch bowl was on the counter, and eyeballs were floating on the liquid.

"OMG," she looked away nauseated.

"Calm your tits chica, no has visto?" oh right, she was right. It was blueberries stuck inside lychee fruits. Clever assholes.

They had just helped themselves to the punch when a large woman dressed as a scary clown appeared on stage. Just a few welcomes and witty dark lines, and it was time for the music to start. Diablo's band got to open the night, then they'd alternate with Aleida's Nun, a metal group lead by the infamous Maria Ruiz.

Blanca's boyfriend winked at her from behind his drums and she grinned back. Eye roll from Maritza. She needed another drink already.

"Hey, excuse me, can you..." she started at the bartender, who turned and... oh.

The other's eyes widened. "Hi Miss Cleo!" she smiled.

"Elvira," she greeted back. Looking down she observed her name tag had disappeared, so had a good few inches of fabric from her decollete, must have had a detachable part or something. Not PG-13 anymore sir, nu-uh. The makeup had also become more extreme.

"How many jobs are you working here, you the owner or something?", she joked.

"Haha, I wish... no I'm actually off now, just filling in for someone for a sec," she said and leaned on the counter.

"OK so... can you make me a Margarita?"

"Of course, Cointreau?" the girl went straight to take the tequila bottle down. Had her dress had those mile-long side cuts before too?, she wondered. Possible. Then her bottom half had been hidden from innocent eyes by the cash register, which, in hindsight, what a shame. "Yes. And salt."

Turning again she began the lime wedge and salt process, the shaking and stirring and garnishing, all the while with a smirk on her face and with quick precise gestures, and she presented her the result with a heart straw in it. Like, an actual miniature paper human heart, bleeding.

She was thoroughly impressed.

"Not bad," she licked some salt from the rim and sipped.

"I have many skills," the girl replied.

"Qué tienes allí?" they unlocked eyes as Blanca asked.

"Quieres uno?" Flaca offered.

"Por favor," and she repeated the magic.

"I love your costume! She was basically a feminist hero," she complimented, and Blanca nodded with a proud grin.

Maritza frowned. "Y yo, qué?", she protested.

"Oh, you... you are a legend, sung by the coolest bards and, like, played by the most wonderful actresses!"

"Sweet talker," Maritza mumbled.

Blanca's unibrown moved from one to the other, she shook her head and announced her departure to go dance closer to the stage.

Maritza also left for the restroom. Standing in front of the mirror, she examined the situation critically, and applied some more gloss to her mouth. Her cheeks looked a bit flushed, darn it had only been one drink! She was definitely developing bad habits, she sighed.

Walking out of the door, she halted; again, she was feeling watched. She looked to one side and the other but the corridor was just kinda dark and empty, besides a couple of skeletons making out on the left and some girls dressed like slutty Japanese schoolgirls wobbling on their heels and giggling on their way to the loo.

But again, yes, she heard it – the rattling sound, and the footsteps going away.

"Hey you!" she rushed in that direction, but soon saw how useless it had been: she was back in the disco room, just from another corridor evidently, and there were people every-friggin'-where. Impossible to say who it'd been. Argh!

She looked at the bar, and there were now new faces at it – a small woman with short hair, a tough expression and a prisoner costume on; a big fat guy with red cheeks and a passion for that musical film with the "Devil Wears Prada" girl, what was the name, and the Revolution, judging by his hat and coat; and a squirrel of a girl who likely weighed less than her and looked like one of those new age gurus who prayed to the moon or something.

They seemed all pretty busy with drinks and an array of clients.

She picked up a jalapeño finger from a buffet table and moved towards the dancing crowd – ah, there was Flores.

Aleida's Nun were wrapping up a song, the band lead was shouting into the microphone with a low demonic voice whereas the vampiresses playing bass and drums and the nun at the keyboards seemed to want to take out all their rage on their instruments. Oh goodness.

Fortunately it was the turn of Diablo's less hardcore group now.

Staff in various attires were going through the guests with trays of appetizers, and she caught an eyeball which by now she knew was perfectly safe; also, from carbs.

Flores wasn't a bad dancer, plus, this kind of music required more jumping that anything else, and she clearly had really strong knees.

"Thank you," she grabbed another punch from a waiter passing by.

"Hey has oído su solo?" her friend pointed at Diablo.

"Sí claro!" she assured. "Great stuff, he's talented."

Blanca nodded satisfied.

Then she saw the strangest pair a few meters away: it was Elvira, dancing with a big black woman with puffy Mickey Mouse hair and a rabbi costume. Like... what was the problem with people?

She lifted her eyes and brightened at her, who smiled back.

Just a moment after this a teenage boy in a police uniform got to them and demanded her attention; they exchanged some words and gestures towards the bar, and as he turned to leave he almost caught Maritza's eyes but instantly averted his.

She saw Elvira saying something to the rabbi friend and then following him.

After another few minutes of dancing, she felt thirsty again.

"You want something from the bar?" she asked Blanca.

"Otra vez?" the unibrow rose; she shrugged. "Another Margarita maybe."

"A'right."

The giant musical lover was her barista now. His back offered a very different image.

Looking to the right, she caught some snippets of conversation between the small inmate and Elvira.

"It's my time off Gloria!"

"Don't be a kid mami, it's only ten minutes. Gina had to have a break."

"Mh, fine, but I was having fun..."

"Flaca, ... OYE CARLOS LITVACK you stop right there," she ordered.

Following her line of sight she found the teenage policeman next to her, and he had - was that her glass of punch in his hand?? She had left it there while waiting for the Margarita.

The giant man clutched his wrist and dragged him behind the counter before the angry jefa.

"What was that?" she threw an eye in her direction. What? Elvira was also frowning.

The boy was gaping like a goldfish and shaking a bit, she wouldn't be surprised if he'd also pissed his pants at this point.

"You, Cindy," the jefa called. "C'mere for a minute."

From who knows where the big rabbi appeared, she protested but complied all the same.

Gloria dragged the boy to a door to the back.

She didn't get it. What was happening?

Absentmindedly she took her glass, and was about to sip from it when Elvira caught her hand and stopped her.

"Yo, no! Don't drink."

"Wha... why, whassup?"

"Didn't you... no. But leave it for just a sec OK?" and she took her drink, leaving it on a shelf and covering it with a coaster. What in God's name.

By this time the squirrel woman had also come back; then Gloria emerged with a furious expression on her face, she talked with Elvira, told the squirrel she was in charge and dived back in.

Mistress of the Dark sighed deeply and came to her again.

"Listen Miss Cleo, can you come back here for a moment? It's important," she looked apologetic.

"What is it?"

"Please?"

"Mh 'key," and she followed her. Elvira softly knocked on the back door and in they went.

The boy was sitting, keeping his head down; his eyes flashed up when they entered and then immediately back down again. Mh. There was something... didn't he look familiar?

"Speak, estúpido," the jefa was looming over him.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"Qué? And raise your head, look her in the eye carajo!"

Still shaking, he couldn't do anything but obey. The fake handcuffs at this side clinged and his cheap badge flashed, and as soon as his eyes really stopped on her an image flashed through her mind and everything at once dawned on her.

The rattling sound in the corridor at Hansel and Gretel's house, the big boots and surely heavy footsteps they produced, the gaze in the mirror at the Haunted House.

"It was you! Were you stalking me??" she cried mad.

His eyes widened. "Sorry," he said and hid his face again.

Elvira looked puzzled now. "What?" she asked.

"Pero qué está pasando?" said Gloria.


	2. Chapter Two

"Pero qué está pasando?" said Gloria.

.

.

.

.

So.

Apparently he, Carlos, 16, was an errand boy at the amusement park and he had noticed Maritza at the entrance, after she bought her tickets. His friends had dared him to make a move and try to get a kiss from her by the end of the day, so he'd kind of followed her around as much as possible but had always chickened out the few times he'd almost been close enough to try.

Now his stupid friend Luscheck had given him something to spike her drink with and he'd just been doing that when Gloria caught him red-handed. What the hell??

"You were trying to drug me!?" That was... that was... no one had done this to her, not even in high school!

"Let me see," Gloria took the small sachet and sniffed at the powder in it, then put some on her fingertip and tasted it.

"Hey Gloria careful!" Elvira exclaimed.

The jefa snorted and shook her head. "Pero serás estúpido. It's flour!"

"What?" the boy asked indignant.

"What?" Elvira echoed surprised.

Ridiculous.

"You're very lucky it's nothing or you'd have been in even worse trouble little boy, like legal trouble, you got it?" Gloria barked.

He nodded dumbfounded.

"Now you'll just be in trouble with your parents, and me of course," at which his eyes widened and he tried to open his mouth, but immediately closed it at Gloria's glare. "You and that Luscheck."

She made him apologize again, then took him out and left him in Cindy's custody for a minute.

"Now mija, I'm sorry" she make a placating gesture with open hands, "but let me say you should pay more attention and not leave your drinks unattended y'know."

Maritza startled and blushed. "I was just... distracted for, like, a second," she briefly eyed Elvira.

"Mh," Gloria looked between them. "A'right. Well sorry for that idiot boy, and I hope you'll continue to have a nice evening here," she nodded and went.

Elvira looked at her.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, yes... I mean, it's just, I feel silly but it's good to know I wasn't just getting paranoid for nothing y'know?", Elvira nodded in empathy.

"So maybe I could offer you a drink or something, like an apology on the house so you won't give us bad reviews mh?", she smiled tentatively.

"Mh! That sounds about right," Maritza smirked. "Make it good Elvira."

"I always do," she whispered.

X X X X X X X X X X

They occupied the far left corner of the bar.

Three witches were now on stage, and after setting their instruments they began their song.

"Ooh, is this... it's _Charmed_!" Maritza piped up excitedly.

Elvira frowned. "Chica, it's _How soon is now?_ Like one of the Smiths' greatest hits ever!"

"Yeah, duh. But I mean... _Charmed_. And these three look just like the three original sisters."

"I wish! There's only one Prue though, sorry Miss Cleo," Elvira put the finishing touches and gave her the glass.

"She your favorite?"

"Well I mean... Shannen Doherty," she stated conclusively.

"Mh."

Maritza started sipping on her Bloody Mary. "OMG this is... wow."

Elvira smiled brightly. "I know right, what can I say," she laughed.

Maritza shook her head and would have taken another sip, if a brainless Beyoncé lookalike hadn't bumped into her and made her spill half the beverage on her dress. Shit! And the bitch'd just gone, hit-and-run.

"Mierda! Sorry," Elvira said and handed her some napkins; but it was to no avail.

She was fuming, and swearing under her breath. "It's not your fault. That stupid impostor," she threw the napkin on the counter.

"OK listen, come, maybe we can do something," she took her hand and led her back.

Through the office they'd been in before, they got the the staff restroom.

"Wait a sec," Elvira left her by the sink and went rummaging through a cabinet in a corner.

"Alright, let's see..." she came back with a bottle and a sponge and some other supplies. "Sit here mh?" she directed her to the tile countertop next to the sink.

She scoffed.

"Height difference, please, it's easier!"

"Alright," and up she climbed.

Elvira wet the sponge and passed it lightly on the major stain.

"Darn," she muttered, looking at it critically. "You look like you've had a hundred asps biting you."

"It's kinda gory mh," she nodded.

"There's more red than in those splatter movies chica," Elvira was now rubbing more vigorously on her... heart area, her other hand on the counter to keep the balance. Yeah, Maritza was kinda trapped essentially. Wasn't it a bit warm in there?

"OK, time for the stain remover," she declared. She poured some directly on the dress, shoot that was cold, Maritza shuddered a bit. "Sorry!"

With a microfiber cloth, she started spreading it evenly onto the large stain. And now it was hot again, dammit. And she was basically getting a boob massage. Hell.

Elvira kept at it, visually appraising the results of her ministrations with pursed lips, and Maritza couldn't help but feel all sorts of contradictory temperature sensations at the other's actions, their proximity, her breath on her chest, her hands in all the wrong places.

And other parts of her body were feeling all of that too.

How could one's heartbeat freeze and gallop at all speed into one's throat at the same time, well it somehow could evidently. She grimaced and bit her lower lip in an attempt to stop her traitorous body from embarrassing her further, but in vain. The muscles in her thighs just had to twitch, her nipple couldn't stay put.

Elvira's artificially pale face blushed furiously and her mouth parted, eyes fixated on that one point. She gulped.

"Sorry, I..." she shook her head and belatedly retracted her right hand.

"Hey it's fucking cold!" Maritza crossed her arms, then uncrossed them, and frowned while Elvira seemed to be moving to put things back in the cabinet. "Wait what're you doing. Are you seriously gonna leave me like this?" she gestured at her stained dress.

"Erm... no?"

"You can bet your ass no!"

"Hey! You don't have to be mean _my Queen_," Elvira spat at her.

"Fine _Mistress of the Bark_," Maritza retorted.

The tall girl turned fast and they found themselves in each other's faces with thundering eyes. "...what??"

"So it's really like that, you're all bark and no bite mh?" Maritza provoked.

Elvira pushed her lightly with a loud snort.

"Yeah Elvira," she pushed back once more forcefully, "you can only fight like a pussy mh?", and twice.

Her nostrils flared and she went after the small woman, making her pull back against the countertop. "Will you shut up Queenie," she hissed. Their chests were touching with every labored breath, Maritza looked taken aback.

"How would this _ever_ be a fair fight," Elvira said, and she lifted and sat her on the counter like before. She had her trapped, again. Maritza looked at her with wild scared eyes. Elvira attacked.

After a gasp and the momentary shock, she counterattacked with all she had.

She bit and licked and dug in, searching, grasped her shoulders and clung on tight, then one hand moved down her back, one up to tangle in her mane.

She could feel her knees being pressed against the fake marble surface by strong thighs, her own shoulders being gripped through the cape and dress and insistent fingers trying to move it aside at her collarbone.

"Aah," she could inhale when the mouth moved to her jaw and down her neck.

She pulled.

"Ouch!"

"Take off this damn wig," she commanded and gave another tug.

"Your wish is my command," Elvira smirked and helped her remove it, revealing black hair up in a French braid crown.

"That's cute," Maritza smiled. "C'mere," she pulled her in by her arm again, and again they dived into each other's lips.

"What's..." a bite," your..." and a lick, "name," and their mouths melted another time. After a second thorough exploration, the other girl started making her way down again.

"Flaca," she kissed her clavicle, "Marisol," and finally managed to move the cape away from her intended destination, "but Flaca... please," and placed a long open mouthed kiss on her now naked left shoulder.

"Flaca..." she put her hands on her hips and her fingertips twitched in her flesh. "Please..." and she tried to open her legs a bit, but that stupid dress was confining her movements.

Flaca straightened up and looked at her with scorching hot coffee eyes.

"What's your name?" she demanded.

"Maritza," she bit her lower lip hard.

Flaca smiled. "Maritza." She grabbed her hands and put them firmly on the countertop, by her sides. Then she started bunching up her dress from the bottom up, and when she got above her knees Maritza helped by raising herself a bit.

Fingernails were scratching up and down on her thighs, and she could barely stand it at this point.

"Let me try my Bloody Mary," Flaca said and pushed her dress a bit more, exposing the area of interest.

Her right hand went down and resumed the caressing, while the plump lips descended on her.

"Fucking hell Flaca I'm gonna kill you," she heard a chuckle on her breast as her hips started thrusting and finally, finally hands got to her panties.

"It's so good," Flaca was licking and sucking with abandon up there, but luckily kept things going in the southern region too.

Maritza felt tugging and again did her bit to get rid of the last barrier, finding she was at the very edge of the counter.

At once Flaca cupped her possessively and she felt teeth on her tit. Her heart was gonna leap out of her chest she was sure, she was going to explode soon or her head was or fucking something was if...

One, two fingers traced the soft wet slit.

"Aaah," yes god please, please she was going crazy – and Flaca guided her upper body down to lie on the countertop, and disappeared from view.

Maritza stared at the ceiling, she felt a touch positioning her legs on Flaca's shoulders and a warm breeze brushing on them. A ripe mouth kissed, cheeks stroked them with fervor, and at last a nose got to her center.

It moved up and down, breathing in deeply, and she felt the lightest touch of lips parting and being moistened by a tongue.

Maritza's right hand snapped down and pressed on the head, while her left squeezed on her own breasts, and belly, and thighs.

Flaca's mouth opened wide and closed again, starting to kiss with such passion as if it were her lips down there; she nosed her clit again, and seemed to want to spread her wetness all over her face, chin, cheeks, forehead, everything was used to caress her.

A lightning burst her eyes open for a moment when she finally felt the tongue again. It was starting to follow her folds, and her sanity was lost; she grasped Flaca's hand on her hip and tightened her hold.

The tongue had started out soft and broad, slow, wandering, but was getting more and more catlike by the minute, shorter moves, scratchier, faster and ever more focused on that one magic place in space which, infinitesimal as it was, contained deep galaxies in that moment.

And then, and then and t h e n... in outer space and among planets and moons she was thrown, up, up up up... Aaaah, she cried seeing stars through her eyelids and on the ceiling, her pelvis reaching out to stay where she had just landed, and hands and lips and tongue aiding her defying gravity.

She could, for a while. It won, in the end.

Slowly she got down, her breath adjusting to Earth's atmosphere, her body becoming her own again, and she loosened the tight grip she hadn't realized she was still keeping on Flaca.

"Mmmh," she exhaled with a dramatic sigh, letting her hand fall and lean out of the counter, boneless.

Flaca emerged from the depths beaming.

Maritza eyed her and gave her a dimpled smile back.

"Soo..." she started, taking the abandoned hand and kissing the palm. "Should I still call you Queen, or would Countertop Princess suit you better now?"

Maritza sprang up and gaped.

"WHAT? How... how dare you, I..." but then she really looked at her perfectly happy and serene expression, and stopped.

They laughed.

She hopped down and adjusted her dress; Flaca caught her hands and they exchanged a long glance.

"That... that was," Maritza tried, feeling a bit shy now. "It was great," she lowered her gaze for a second. "Seriously, thank you." Flaca saw how her eyes were full of emotions it was hard to put into words; she shook her head, smiling.

"Naa, thank _you_," she replied sincerely.

"Do you... I mean..."

"No it's OK, don't worry," Flaca assured her. "Everything's great."

They were still holding hands and standing there like two idiots.

Suddenly they heard a door banging and some noises. Oh shit. They had kinda forgotten where they were it seemed.

They held their breath for a few moments, then there was another door slamming and they could relax again.

"There wouldn't be time anyway," Flaca said. "It's already, like, a miracle we didn't get caught so far." Shoot, she was right.

"What now," Maritza glanced at the door, "should we..."

"Yeah," Flaca assented, "let's do like this, I'll go out first and assess the situation, and then you stay in the office and I'll knock when it's safe to exit OK?"

Seemed like a good plan; she nodded.

Flaca surreptitiously washed her hands and face, feigning indifference but blushing a little and making her blush a lot more, she put on her wig, then they exchanged a nod and she went.

She took a deep breath. But there wasn't time, so she freshened up herself as much as possible and cautiously went to the office.

Checking her phone, she noticed it was now past seven. The show must have finished, but she had no messages or missed calls from her sister and mom.

There was a light knock; she opened the door quietly and had a quick look outside. The squirrel and giant man were busy with clients, she could see Flaca strategically placed talking to the jefa and facing her; she flashed her a significant glance and Maritza was fast to move out of the way and to the proper side of the bar.

Flaca soon joined her. The jefa followed her with questioning eyes and she tried real hard to make her cheeks not feel so warm anymore.

"Want a punch?" Flaca asked.

She had to laugh. "What, really?" and was regaled with an amused smile in return.

"Alright, well... Margarita? You wanna try again with that Bloody Mary?" she offered, then a thought seemed to hit her. "OMG... you're not drunk are you? You were _not_ drunk were you?", she looked horrified.

"Aww!" she laughed again. "You're the sweetest. No Flaca, I had _one_ Margarita and the punch is alcohol-free right, so no, definitely not," she smiled.

"Ooh thank God," that was a visible relief.

"I'm OK. Just an eyeball or two maybe," she said, and fished a couple out of the bowl and in a glass. "You want one?" she offered Flaca, who nodded, and fed her with her index and thumb. They exchanged hooded glances.

The Statue of Liberty woman from before was now on stage singing, wow, she was good. Sophia, Flaca called her.

Just as she was starting to function normally, she spotted Blanca and Diablo a few meters away; they were whispering and she was staring at her with raised unibrow. Damn.

She smiled awkwardly and waved, and Blanca's unibrow reached a record height.

"Whassup?" Flaca asked.

"Nothing, nothing," she said. "It's the friend I came with, and, well I disappeared I suppose, so," she stumbled, "I don't know."

Flaca turned to look and then spoke again. "Don't worry," she said. "I think you're good."

Maritza chanced a glance: Diablo was smiling, Blanca smirked but nodded at her reassuringly, and made a go-ahead gesture. Oh god. She'll never hear the end of this; but maybe it would be ok. Yeah, maybe one day her cheeks would even return to their normal shade, who knows.

They stayed for a little, eating some more eyeballs and commenting on the show and people around. Flaca found out she enjoyed their banter, and Maritza was more and more entranced with the sweet girl. It was just so easy to talk and be together.

It was almost eight though, and she felt the need to check on Juliana. Flaca had asked about it also, and she was now wondering what her and the others might be up to.

“...OK baby. Beso besito,” Maritza closed the call.

Flaca had accompanied her outside to have some quiet, she had stood a few meters away to give her the privacy to speak and now she joined her again.

“All good?” she smiled.

“Yes. Show was great, they got a ton of candies from the treat-or-trick thing and now they wanted to eat at... Frankenstein’s? or something.”

“Yes, I know where it is.” Flaca saw her uncertain look. “I can come with you if you want. I mean!, I mean take you there y’know, it’s easy to get lost in here.” They both thought about the map Maritza had in her purse.

“That’s be really helpful. But, like, I don’t want to drag you away from your friends if…”

“Oh please, I see their faces all the time,” she shrugged it off. “You’d do _me_ a favor really Mari.”

Maritza smirked at her reddened cheeks. “OK then _Flac_. Let’s go!”

X X X X X X X X X X

On their way Flaca indicated some other attractions and they chit-chatted about it all. It was just ten minutes, and they were in no rush.

“...so you could catch the things you missed till the fifth. Then from 25th to 28th there’s the Thanksgiving Special, it’s kinda small but cute, Juliana might like it.” They slowed down a bit. Maritza realized they were almost at the place from the smell; she looked at the taller girl who was excitedly explaining about the park’s calendar and smiled. She was really trying to sell it.

When they got opposite Frankenstein’s, they stopped and turned towards each other fully. Flaca’s spiel had reached December and the Christmas wonders Litchfield offered.

“It does sound like Juli can’t miss out on it,” Maritza nodded pensive. She turned and had a glance inside the window; she could actually make out her daughter and the rest of her family at a table, having what seemed like hamburgers and very orange fries. Redirecting her attention to Flaca, she saw that her eyes were fixed on the same spot and she had a small sweet smile on her face.

She couldn’t very well look away herself. Her eyes were soft and warm, cheeks a bit chubby with a unique shape, lips just slightly upturned on one side, so full, down to her neck and the ample plane of her chest and that line inviting to continue the inspection. Aah.

But that expression again brought her up, at once kind and reserved, hopeful and childlike but with a hint of melancholy. It made something in her tug and long too.

Maritza’s touch on her arm startled her, and their gazes met.

She led her down by the nape of her neck, and touched their lips, and breathed. Flaca was staring at her with wide eyes.

She dragged her in again and closed her own, entangling fingers in her hair (thank god she had taken off that goddamn wig after the disco) and caressing her hip, and center to her abdomen, and up to her breast. Mh. Wasn’t that a lovely place to stay.

Aah. She was delicious.

_Dling._

Flaca jumped a little and distanced them. She frowned.

“Erm,” the other girl cleared her throat and made suggestive brow movements.

Uh-oh. Her family had just come out on the street and were now moving towards them. Fuck.

“Mama!” Juliana hugged her leg.

“Hey baby,” she greeted overenthusiastically and eyed the other two women warily.

“Have you had fun?” she felt the nod and looked up to see her sister’s smirk.

“Everything was good sis.” She was staring at Flaca. Darn.

“And who is your friend?” asked her mother curious. Jesus.

“She’s the ticket witch,” Juliana answered candidly.

“Qué?” her mom enquired. Aaah.

“Buenas tardes señora,” Flaca saved her. “And, Maritza’s sister? - I work here, at the entrance,” she explained with a smile.

“Oh I see. And how long have you…”

“Mom,” Maritza interrupted in a rush. “It’s a bit late no?” her sister’s eyebrows skyrocketed.

“Wh…”

“Where is your hair?” Juliana jumped in right then.

God bless her.

Flaca seemed to think the same. She chuckled.

“It’s in my bag. Wanna see?” she pulled it out, making Juliana awe, and them all laugh a bit.

She smiled.

Isabela opened her mouth about to say something, but then looked at her sister and seemed to think about it again; she called Juli to her.

“Mari, we’re going to the exit, we’ll wait for you outside OK?” she said, already moving.

?

Her mother didn’t seem to get it entirely either. “Pero…”

“Vénte mamá,” she grabbed her forearm and continued on.

“Oy mija…” they were all a bit dumbfounded it appeared. “Ha sido un placer…?”

“Marisol, me llamo Marisol,” Flaca nodded stupidly at the retreating forms. “Igualmente!” she waved.

They were out.

Maritza and Flaca looked at each other. What was that? Oh well.

“So,” Maritza started. “I gotta go now.”

Flaca nodded. “Yeah.”

A beat. They were in a standstill.

“...and,” she coughed a little feigning indifference, “you said that the closing show on the four and fifth is even better than today’s?”

Flaca beamed. “Yes! Definitely. If your daughter liked it today then she’d looove that one, believe me.”

Maritza smiled.

“Oh, I could, like, keep a couple of tickets for you if you wanted? ‘Cause it’s the last day of the Halloween week y’know, and it could be crazy busy and all,” they were both nodding like fools now.

“Yeah, definitely, I mean, yeah.” Then she paused. “Wait I’d have to check at home for the day though, she has a visit with her pediatrician but I don’t remember when…”

“Oh a’right. Then I’ll give you my number OK? So you can let me know,” she was rummaging through her bag again, for her phone this time.

Maritza nodded and they exchanged numbers.

“OK, I really have to go now,” she repeated.

“Yeah,” Flaca nodded again, alert.

Maritza looked. Oh fuck it.

She took a step ahead, got on her tiptoes and gave the tall girl’s cheek a long kiss.

They smiled at each other.

“Bye Flaca.” She started moving backwards.

“Bye Maritza,” she said softly and followed her with her gaze.

She was almost at the exit, and turned to look again for an instant.

Fuck it.

Flaca ran to her; she stopped, smiled. Bent slowly to her left ear and wet her lips almost against it.

"I can't wait for you to call me Mistress again," she breathed.

Maritza stood like a damn idiot while she took a step back, winked, and left her there with a gaping mouth. She was sooo toast.


End file.
